Monday Oct 12, 2026
Monday Oct 12, 2026
Friday, 21 August 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
ITAK Batticaloa District MP
Shanakiyan Rasamanickam
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam yesterday called on the Government to urgently ensure an uninterrupted supply of Filgrastim to cancer patients at State hospitals, warning that shortages were reportedly forcing patients to purchase the essential medicine privately at prices of up to Rs. 23,000 per injection.
Raising the issue in Parliament, Rasamanickam said the shortage at the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital and other Government hospitals had been brought directly to his attention by cancer patients and their families.
Filgrastim is used in chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation and other cancer treatments.
Rasamanickam said patients were reportedly being forced to purchase Filgrastim from private pharmacies for between Rs. 17,000 and Rs.23,000 per injection, while Neupogen injections were reportedly being sold for between Rs .20,000 and Rs. 30,000 in some areas.
“For families already facing the enormous financial and emotional burden of cancer treatment, being forced to purchase an essential medicine at such prices is unacceptable,” he said.
Rasamanickam said he asked Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa to provide details on the extent of the shortage, hospitals affected, current stock levels, daily and monthly requirements, procurement arrangements and when adequate supplies would reach Government hospitals.
According to Rasamanickam, Dr. Jayatissa acknowledged the shortage and assured Parliament that steps were being taken to resolve the immediate problem within one week. The Minister also said a special medical team had been established to address the issue.
However, Rasamanickam said the Minister indicated that procurement through the regular process could take at least six weeks, raising questions over how uninterrupted access would be ensured in the interim.
“A procurement delay must never become a patient’s medical crisis,” Rasamanickam said.
He said he had also received information that similar difficulties could be affecting Government hospitals in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, including Jaffna, and called for urgent verification.
Rasamanickam urged the Health Ministry to continuously monitor Filgrastim stocks and requirements at every major Government hospital, including available quantities, requirements and the number of days existing stocks would last.
“I welcome the Minister’s assurance that the immediate shortage will be addressed within one week. However, this cannot end with a temporary solution. “The Ministry of Health must establish a reliable long-term procurement and supply mechanism for Filgrastim and other essential cancer medicines so that the same crisis does not recur,” he said.
“The Government has a fundamental responsibility to ensure that no cancer patient is forced to delay or discontinue treatment because an essential medicine is unavailable or unaffordable,” Rasamanickam added.
